From December 2024 to March 2025, gross job gains from opening and expanding private-sector establishments in Maine were 40,436, while gross job losses from closing and contracting private-sector establishments were 34,390, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Michael G. Phinney noted that the difference between the number of gross job gains and the number of gross job losses yielded a net employment gain of 6,046 jobs in the private sector during first quarter of 2025. (See table 1.) During the previous quarter, gross job losses exceeded gross job gains by 923. (See chart 1.)

The change in the number of jobs over time is the net result of increases and decreases in employment that occur at all private businesses in the economy. Business Employment Dynamics (BED) statistics track these changes in employment at private-sector establishments from the third month of one quarter to the third month of the next. The difference between the number of gross job gains and the number of gross job losses is the net change in employment. (See the Business Employment Dynamics Technical Note.)

Gross job gains

In the first quarter of 2025, gross job gains represented 7.4 percent of private-sector employment in Maine; nationally, gross job gains accounted for 5.6 percent of private-sector employment. (See chart 2.) Gross job gains are the sum of increases in employment due to expansions at existing establishments and the addition of new jobs at opening establishments. In Maine, gross job gains at expanding establishments totaled 29,030 in the first quarter of 2025, a decrease of 61 jobs compared to the previous quarter. Opening establishments accounted for 11,406 jobs gained in the first quarter of 2025, an increase of 2,818 jobs from the previous quarter.

Gross job losses

In the first quarter of 2025, gross job losses represented 6.3 percent of private-sector employment in Maine; nationally, gross job losses accounted for 5.4 percent of private-sector employment. (See chart 3.) Gross job losses are the result of contractions in employment at existing establishments and the loss of jobs at closing establishments. In Maine, contracting establishments lost 27,708 jobs in the first quarter of 2025, a decrease of 2,967 jobs from the prior quarter. Closing establishments lost 6,682 jobs, a decrease of 1,245 jobs from the previous quarter.

Industries

Gross job gains exceeded gross job losses in 4 of the 9 published industry sectors in Maine in the first quarter of 2025. Retail trade had the largest over-the-quarter net job gain, with an increase of 1,823 jobs. This was the result of 5,184 gross job gains and 3,361 gross job losses. Construction had a net gain of 1,059 jobs, and education and health services had a net gain of 758 jobs. The professional and business services industry showed a net loss of 1,172 jobs.

For more information

The BED data series include gross job gains and gross job losses by industry subsector, for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, as well as gross job gains and gross job losses at the firm level by employer size class. BED data for the states have been included in table 2 of this release. Additional information is available online at the Business Employment Dynamics Home.

The Business Employment Dynamics for Second Quarter 2025 are scheduled to be released on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Technical Note

The Business Employment Dynamics (BED) data are a product of a federal-state cooperative program known as Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW). The BED data are compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from existing QCEW records.

More information on formal definitions of the data used in this release, along with coverage, concepts, and methodology, can be found in the Business Employment Dynamics Technical Note.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Private-sector gross job gains and losses by industry, Maine, seasonally adjusted

Category	Gross job gains and losses (3 months ended)					Gross job gains and losses as a percent of employment (3 months ended)
	Mar. 2024	June 2024	Sept. 2024	Dec. 2024	Mar. 2025	Mar. 2024	June 2024	Sept. 2024	Dec. 2024	Mar. 2025
Total private (1)
Gross job gains	40,267	39,381	33,985	37,679	40,436	7.4	7.2	6.2	7.0	7.4
At expanding establishments	30,855	30,529	26,747	29,091	29,030	5.7	5.6	4.9	5.4	5.3
At opening establishments	9,412	8,852	7,238	8,588	11,406	1.7	1.6	1.3	1.6	2.1
Gross job losses	33,770	38,871	38,390	38,602	34,390	6.3	7.1	7.1	7.1	6.3
At contracting establishments	26,957	31,419	30,913	30,675	27,708	5.0	5.7	5.7	5.6	5.1
At closing establishments	6,813	7,452	7,477	7,927	6,682	1.3	1.4	1.4	1.5	1.2
Net employment change (2)	6,497	510	-4,405	-923	6,046	1.1	0.1	-0.9	-0.1	1.1
Construction
Gross job gains	4,620	2,988	2,916	3,723	3,600	13.0	8.4	8.4	10.7	9.8
At expanding establishments	3,489	2,284	2,079	2,979	2,945	9.8	6.4	6.0	8.6	8.0
At opening establishments	1,131	704	837	744	655	3.2	2.0	2.4	2.1	1.8
Gross job losses	2,814	3,703	3,411	3,022	2,541	7.8	10.3	9.9	8.7	6.9
At contracting establishments	2,156	2,794	2,544	2,179	2,022	6.0	7.8	7.4	6.3	5.5
At closing establishments	658	909	867	843	519	1.8	2.5	2.5	2.4	1.4
Net employment change (2)	1,806	-715	-495	701	1,059	5.2	-1.9	-1.5	2.0	2.9
Manufacturing
Gross job gains	2,011	1,983	1,375	1,357	1,403	3.9	3.8	2.7	2.6	2.7
At expanding establishments	1,670	1,773	1,191	1,132	1,297	3.2	3.4	2.3	2.2	2.5
At opening establishments	341	210	184	225	106	0.7	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.2
Gross job losses	1,986	1,961	1,742	1,991	1,778	3.9	3.8	3.3	3.9	3.5
At contracting establishments	1,647	1,713	1,562	1,707	1,562	3.2	3.3	3.0	3.3	3.1
At closing establishments	339	248	180	284	216	0.7	0.5	0.3	0.6	0.4
Net employment change (2)	25	22	-367	-634	-375	0.0	0.0	-0.6	-1.3	-0.8
Wholesale trade
Gross job gains	932	841	647	749	899	4.8	4.4	3.4	4.0	4.8
At expanding establishments	675	651	558	625	812	3.5	3.4	2.9	3.3	4.3
At opening establishments	257	190	89	124	87	1.3	1.0	0.5	0.7	0.5
Gross job losses	751	828	836	919	855	3.9	4.3	4.4	4.8	4.5
At contracting establishments	570	656	669	709	629	3.0	3.4	3.5	3.7	3.3
At closing establishments	181	172	167	210	226	0.9	0.9	0.9	1.1	1.2
Net employment change (2)	181	13	-189	-170	44	0.9	0.1	-1.0	-0.8	0.3
Retail trade
Gross job gains	5,810	4,570	4,369	3,976	5,184	7.1	5.5	5.3	4.9	6.4
At expanding establishments	5,145	3,809	3,812	3,482	4,732	6.3	4.6	4.6	4.3	5.8
At opening establishments	665	761	557	494	452	0.8	0.9	0.7	0.6	0.6
Gross job losses	3,829	5,838	4,924	4,895	3,361	4.7	7.0	6.0	6.0	4.2
At contracting establishments	3,270	5,284	4,382	4,294	2,884	4.0	6.3	5.3	5.3	3.6
At closing establishments	559	554	542	601	477	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6
Net employment change (2)	1,981	-1,268	-555	-919	1,823	2.4	-1.5	-0.7	-1.1	2.2
Financial activities
Gross job gains	1,227	1,426	1,338	1,674	1,188	3.9	4.6	4.4	5.5	3.9
At expanding establishments	967	983	1,015	1,269	980	3.1	3.2	3.3	4.2	3.2
At opening establishments	260	443	323	405	208	0.8	1.4	1.1	1.3	0.7
Gross job losses	1,510	1,415	1,462	1,469	1,352	4.9	4.6	4.8	4.9	4.5
At contracting establishments	1,090	1,125	1,117	1,140	1,030	3.5	3.7	3.7	3.8	3.4
At closing establishments	420	290	345	329	322	1.4	0.9	1.1	1.1	1.1
Net employment change (2)	-283	11	-124	205	-164	-1.0	0.0	-0.4	0.6	-0.6
Professional and business services
Gross job gains	5,523	5,985	6,005	5,163	4,616	7.1	7.6	7.6	6.6	6.0
At expanding establishments	3,841	4,276	4,607	3,851	3,624	4.9	5.4	5.8	4.9	4.7
At opening establishments	1,682	1,709	1,398	1,312	992	2.2	2.2	1.8	1.7	1.3
Gross job losses	5,043	5,510	5,543	7,499	5,788	6.5	7.0	7.0	9.5	7.4
At contracting establishments	3,749	3,843	4,102	5,853	4,364	4.8	4.9	5.2	7.4	5.6
At closing establishments	1,294	1,667	1,441	1,646	1,424	1.7	2.1	1.8	2.1	1.8
Net employment change (2)	480	475	462	-2,336	-1,172	0.6	0.6	0.6	-2.9	-1.4
Education and health services
Gross job gains	5,348	5,253	5,184	5,196	5,606	4.3	4.2	4.2	4.1	4.5
At expanding establishments	4,590	4,525	4,590	4,572	4,651	3.7	3.6	3.7	3.6	3.7
At opening establishments	758	728	594	624	955	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.8
Gross job losses	3,779	4,804	4,542	4,242	4,848	3.0	3.9	3.6	3.4	3.8
At contracting establishments	3,231	4,176	3,644	3,498	4,087	2.6	3.4	2.9	2.8	3.2
At closing establishments	548	628	898	744	761	0.4	0.5	0.7	0.6	0.6
Net employment change (2)	1,569	449	642	954	758	1.3	0.3	0.6	0.7	0.7
Leisure and hospitality
Gross job gains	10,492	11,281	8,230	10,322	8,809	15.1	16.1	11.9	15.0	12.7
At expanding establishments	7,090	8,559	6,014	7,844	6,697	10.2	12.2	8.7	11.4	9.7
At opening establishments	3,402	2,722	2,216	2,478	2,112	4.9	3.9	3.2	3.6	3.0
Gross job losses	9,674	11,089	11,555	10,177	9,489	13.9	15.8	16.8	14.8	13.6
At contracting establishments	7,854	8,882	9,510	7,823	7,797	11.3	12.7	13.8	11.4	11.2
At closing establishments	1,820	2,207	2,045	2,354	1,692	2.6	3.1	3.0	3.4	2.4
Net employment change (2)	818	192	-3,325	145	-680	1.2	0.3	-4.9	0.2	-0.9
Other services (3)
Gross job gains	1,417	1,509	1,198	1,334	1,068	8.2	8.7	6.8	7.6	6.2
At expanding establishments	1,172	1,184	930	1,089	902	6.8	6.8	5.3	6.2	5.2
At opening establishments	245	325	268	245	166	1.4	1.9	1.5	1.4	1.0
Gross job losses	1,191	1,282	1,391	1,230	1,119	6.9	7.4	8.0	7.0	6.5
At contracting establishments	929	1,023	1,130	984	876	5.4	5.9	6.5	5.6	5.1
At closing establishments	262	259	261	246	243	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.4	1.4
Net employment change (2)	226	227	-193	104	-51	1.3	1.3	-1.2	0.6	-0.3
Footnotes: (1) Includes unclassified sector not shown separately. (2) The net employment change is the difference between total gross job gains and total gross job losses. See the Technical Note for further information. (3) Except public administration.

Table 2. Private-sector gross job gains and losses as a percent of total employment by state, seasonally adjusted

Category	Gross job gains as a percent of employment (3 months ended)					Gross job losses as a percent of employment (3 months ended)
	Mar. 2024	June 2024	Sept. 2024	Dec. 2024	Mar. 2025	Mar. 2024	June 2024	Sept. 2024	Dec. 2024	Mar. 2025
United States(1)	5.9	5.8	5.8	5.9	5.6	5.5	5.9	5.8	5.7	5.4
Alabama	5.9	5.6	5.8	5.8	5.3	5.6	5.6	5.9	5.3	5.6
Alaska	10.7	10.2	8.0	10.3	10.0	8.5	9.6	9.6	9.5	8.1
Arizona	8.2	5.6	6.4	6.1	5.8	6.5	6.5	5.7	5.9	5.3
Arkansas	5.6	5.3	5.5	5.8	5.1	5.2	5.7	5.2	4.8	5.1
California	6.0	6.2	6.3	6.7	6.0	5.7	6.9	6.2	6.4	6.2
Colorado	6.4	6.6	6.3	6.2	6.2	7.4	5.8	6.4	6.5	6.8
Connecticut	5.8	5.8	5.5	5.5	5.6	5.2	5.5	5.6	5.5	5.3
Delaware	6.2	5.8	6.8	6.1	5.9	5.0	6.5	6.4	6.3	5.3
District of Columbia	5.1	5.1	4.9	5.0	4.8	5.0	5.4	5.0	5.5	5.8
Florida	5.8	6.1	6.5	6.0	5.8	5.5	5.8	5.7	6.2	5.5
Georgia	6.1	5.9	5.8	6.0	5.5	5.7	5.7	6.1	5.4	5.7
Hawaii	5.6	5.2	5.7	5.3	4.9	5.1	5.6	5.0	5.0	5.0
Idaho	7.9	7.5	7.1	8.2	7.3	8.1	7.2	7.5	6.8	7.3
Illinois	5.2	5.1	4.9	5.1	5.0	4.8	5.1	5.0	5.1	5.0
Indiana	5.3	5.2	5.3	5.5	5.4	5.1	5.5	5.3	5.1	5.2
Iowa	6.2	5.6	5.3	5.6	5.8	5.7	5.8	6.0	5.6	5.5
Kansas	5.9	5.9	5.3	5.9	5.5	5.5	5.6	5.6	5.2	5.4
Kentucky	5.9	5.3	5.4	5.3	5.2	5.1	5.8	5.4	5.5	4.8
Louisiana	6.3	5.8	6.1	6.2	5.6	5.6	6.2	5.8	5.5	5.6
Maine	7.4	7.2	6.2	7.0	7.4	6.3	7.1	7.1	7.1	6.3
Maryland	6.1	7.1	5.9	6.0	5.9	5.5	5.9	6.1	5.9	5.7
Massachusetts	5.3	5.7	5.0	5.3	5.0	5.1	5.6	5.8	5.5	5.1
Michigan	5.5	5.7	5.3	5.4	5.2	5.2	5.4	5.8	5.9	5.3
Minnesota	6.1	5.7	5.1	5.5	5.1	5.2	5.2	5.8	5.1	5.5
Mississippi	6.0	5.7	6.3	6.3	5.7	5.8	6.3	5.7	6.2	6.1
Missouri	5.9	5.6	5.6	5.7	5.4	5.4	5.8	5.8	5.3	5.2
Montana	8.1	7.9	7.2	8.4	8.0	7.6	7.6	8.0	7.8	7.5
Nebraska	5.9	5.5	5.6	5.6	5.2	5.1	5.6	5.6	5.5	5.3
Nevada	6.0	5.8	6.2	6.1	5.4	6.1	5.8	5.9	5.6	5.9
New Hampshire	6.4	6.1	5.6	6.3	6.5	5.8	6.0	6.7	5.9	6.1
New Jersey	5.5	5.9	5.4	6.0	5.6	5.5	5.5	5.8	5.5	5.4
New Mexico	6.4	6.1	6.3	6.1	5.9	6.1	6.5	6.2	5.9	5.8
New York	6.0	5.8	5.7	5.7	6.6	5.0	5.5	5.8	5.5	5.0
North Carolina	5.5	5.6	5.5	6.1	5.4	5.4	5.5	5.8	5.5	5.5
North Dakota	6.9	6.6	6.5	6.5	6.7	6.0	6.6	6.5	6.6	6.5
Ohio	5.5	5.2	5.2	5.4	5.2	4.8	5.3	5.4	5.1	4.9
Oklahoma	5.8	5.7	6.1	6.0	5.5	5.3	6.4	5.5	5.5	5.3
Oregon	6.6	6.0	6.3	6.2	5.8	5.9	6.3	6.6	6.6	6.2
Pennsylvania	5.1	4.9	5.1	5.2	5.0	4.6	5.2	5.0	4.8	4.7
Rhode Island	6.8	6.6	6.2	7.3	6.6	5.7	6.7	6.4	6.3	5.9
South Carolina	6.5	6.1	6.2	6.4	6.1	6.3	6.0	5.9	5.9	5.5
South Dakota	6.4	6.0	5.9	6.7	6.2	5.8	6.2	5.9	5.9	6.5
Tennessee	5.7	5.5	5.6	5.5	5.4	5.0	5.6	5.7	6.2	5.1
Texas	5.5	5.4	5.7	5.8	5.1	5.1	5.3	5.3	5.2	5.1
Utah	6.9	6.5	6.8	6.8	6.6	6.3	6.9	6.2	6.3	6.0
Vermont	7.5	6.7	6.6	6.7	6.9	6.3	7.4	7.1	6.7	6.8
Virginia	5.8	5.6	5.8	5.8	5.6	5.3	5.7	5.7	5.5	5.1
Washington	5.7	5.9	5.8	5.8	5.7	6.2	5.6	5.8	5.7	5.5
West Virginia	7.1	7.0	5.9	6.5	6.4	6.1	6.7	6.6	6.1	5.7
Wisconsin	5.7	5.3	5.1	5.3	5.0	4.9	5.6	5.5	5.2	4.9
Wyoming	8.4	8.2	8.9	8.9	8.1	8.4	8.8	8.5	8.3	8.7
Puerto Rico	5.3	5.5	5.4	4.3	6.3	4.7	4.9	5.0	5.4	5.4
Virgin Islands	6.4	4.9	4.7	5.2	5.4	5.3	5.7	7.5	10.8	7.6
Footnotes (1) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. The sum of the states will not necessarily add to the U.S. total because of the independent seasonal adjustment of each state.